Sophomore Joelle Anderson of the women's soccer team talks to us about coming back from an injury last season, and what she hopes to improve on throughout this season:
 
Q: How did you get into playing soccer?
 
A: Growing up I always played multiple sports, but I started playing soccer when I was about 5 years old. I had a lot of energy as a child, so my parents thought soccer would be the perfect sport for me. I tried out for my first ever club team when I was about 6 or 7 and it was because of that team I realized that soccer was my true passion.
 
Q: Despite getting injured at the end, you had an excellent freshman season. What were your thoughts on last season?
 
A: I think we were all proud of how last season went. It was an amazing experience to play with such a talented group of women. It was definitely a rollercoaster of a season but winning that WCC championship was the best feeling ever. Being a freshman last year, it took a little time to get adjusted to the college game. Yet, being surrounded by really talented players helped me improve and become a better player.
 
Q: What was your favorite memory from your freshman year?
 
A: I think my favorite memory was when we won our game against Santa Clara. The energy and the fire we had that game was something I'll never forget. I knew going in that it would be a battle, and to come out victorious was a huge moment for our team.
 
Q: You were called up in February to the U.S. U-19 National Team camp. How honored were you to be selected?
 
A: It was a great honor to be selected to go play for the national team. After dealing with my injury, it was a huge surprise when I returned to school and found out I would be going to Florida for their camp. I was extremely thankful for the opportunity and wanted to represent Pepperdine and our program well.
 
Q: Considering your injury, how did you feel about the camp?
 
A: At first, I felt pretty nervous going in because it was only a month or two after I came back from my injury, but I was excited to go play with such talented soccer players. I just wanted to learn as much as possible from that experience and enjoy every moment of it.
 
Q: What are you hoping to improve on this season?
 
A: This year I especially want to become more of a leader on this team and set a great example for my teammates. I always find more and more things I need to improve on as the season goes by but being a leader for my team going forward is definitely one aspect of my game that I am focusing on.
 
Q: What were your individual and team goals for this season?
 
A: For me, I just want to keep being someone my teammates can count on to show up every day and be a positive influence. As for our team, we are just taking it one game at a time and seeing what we can improve on as the season goes by. We are constantly learning so much every time we practice and play. I'm excited to see what the rest of the season holds for our team because I know we are improving more and more every day.
 
Q: What are you most looking forward to the rest of this season?
 
A: The beginning of the season hasn't really gone the way we wanted it to, but we are all hopeful and confident about the future of this team. The team culture of this program is so unique and special, and I feel extremely lucky to be able to play here at Pepperdine.